Missing Kent K-9 officer found sleeping in yard

KENT, Wash. - A Kent police K-9 officer known as Kato has been found after he disappeared while responding to a call.

Kato, along with his handler, Officer E. Tung, was sent to a call Thursday night in the 26200 block of 147th Avenue Southeast in Kent.

Kato was helping police look for a hit-and-run suspect around 11 p.m. in the Lake Meridian area.

His handler released him to look for the suspect and Kato never came back. After a 2 and a half hour search, Kato was spotted about a half mile away by the King County chopper Guardian One's infrared sensor. He was sleeping in someone's backyard.